But drop in juveniles is countered by increase in adult females capable of spawning
It could mean there will be fewer mature crabs that will have grown big enough and migrated back into the bay to be fished and marketed, or it could mean that the samples taken at 1,500 spots from December to March missed the more elusive juveniles, which are less than 2½ inches in size and susceptible to being scattered and moved around by environmental forces — or eaten by predators.
A less ambiguous measure — the number of mature female crabs found that were capable of spawning — showed a positive 12 percent increase. That is the data point the bay states use to gauge the overall health of the blue crab fishery, said Patrick Geer, chief of fisheries for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission.
They cry that every year to get the prices up !!!!
Key word “could”. Colleague from VA gets his crabs via mouth of Patuxent and Chesapeake area….whole sale last weekend #1 bushel was $345. He hasnt been making anything after cooking seasoning and payin his help selling cuz he wants to keep his customers. He is hoping this story doesnt cause further damage to business and knows prices get lower thru the season.
Every year prior to memorial day weekend doom and gloom happens. Well this go around it will be raining most of the weekend. Packed weekend, rain and minimal help. Recipe for fun fun fun
Total BS!!! Anything to get the price up!
Memorial day and the 4th of July are pending.
Lets get the price as high as possible to increase profits!
Lets screw the consumer!
Yep, they do it every year; however, I think the price is the highest I’ve ever seen . We sure can live without them!
All a LIE !!!!! PLenty of crabs just like Plenty of Oil & Gas !!!!!
Is that why it’s $300 for a bushel now?? Oh wait, COVID!!
Everything is COVID !!!!
so the crabbers forgot to wear their masks
any information put out by any branch of any government is misinformation. How the hell can a bunch of idiots who have never seen the bay take a bs survey conducted by paid morons and make their best guess of how many crabs are there? how about getting virginia on board to stop taking females and dragging them up from the mud during the winter? or maybe stop a fleet working for Omega Protein Corp. netted 67,000 metric tons from the Bay last year. Omega, a division of a Canadian fishing company, has a processing plant in Reedville, VA,